following the Fate
by la Domkova
Summary: Here something new: a story about Emeraude and Ferio's parents. READ AND REVIEW!!!
1. Default Chapter

**Following the Fate**

Ermione sighed slightly tapping the coach window: she had left two weeks ago the castle and the journey that carried her to Austina seemed endless. Ermione was the youngest daughter of the preceding King of Sephiro: two years ago she had reached the marriageable age, but only few weeks before somebody had asked for her hand. The young princess smiled bitterly, it wasn't strange: she wasn't beautiful as Lelya the Widow, her older sister, or nice as Xsara, her other sister. Ermione wasn't surprise to be marrying the Lord of one of Sephiro's smallest regions.

_Flashback_

Marcel smiled seeing his younger sister's amazed expression. His wife Zatra placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and said:

" Why that face? Aren't you happy to get married?"

" Ah-em.... yes, I am happy, but...."

" But what, Ermione? " Lelya said looking at her, " It isn't our fault if in two years only the prince of Peucezia has asked for your hand."

" Our sister is right. You are twenty years old now, within few years you'll be too old to get married: in a sense, I haven't had other choice."

" I knew it." The girl sighed playing with a lock of mint green hair, " I sincerely thought that nobody would be been come forward. That is, I am not a really beautiful woman, I don't know how to be pleasant and I'm not at all intelligent and..."

" Non sense! Ya're undervaluin' yaself, and that's not fair! We know that ya're a humble girl, but at times ya go too far!"

 Zatra exclaimed with a slightly Cizetian accent. The older sister got up from the couch and drew near the window: in the courtyard a platoon was practicing.

" We have taken this decision thinking about your own good, Ermione: we think that you'll be happy in Austina. Prince Frederick is 34 years old - just few years younger than Marcel- and he is a very kind and charming man. You should know him: the last time that he has been here, you has talked once or twice."

Ermione nodded blushing: she remembered the prince of Peucezia. They met sometimes in a hallway or in the garden and they had chatted about this and that.

" What does the others said?"

The future bride asked alluding to their four half brothers. Marcel twisted his mouth: hate was between them and their father's second wife's sons.

" Their opinion isn't important. Lelya will come with you to Austina: you'll leave as soon as the preparations are finished."

_End flashback_

The young princess sighed again and watched her sister, whom sat in front of her: Lelya, 47 years, was King Meyer's older daughter and only Jinko-hime, the Pillar, was more beautiful than she. Lelya had chestnut eyes and her long hair, once of a bright green mint, had become completely white after the death of her husband, whom left her alone and childless. Since that day she lived in the royal palace: being a very wise woman, Marcel had nominated Lelya extraordinary adviser.

" What are you thinking about, Ermione?"

The woman said without raise her eyes from her book.

" It's hot, I'm hungry and this journey never end: would you believe it? We are traveling already for two weeks!"

" Come on, you're not anymore a little girl: we'll soon arrive and you'll refresh you. I am happy for you, dear sister, marriage is source of great joys."

The woman said squeezing the girl's hand, trying to encourage her. Ermione smiled weakly and embraced Lelya: sure, that wasn't the life she wished for, but other had taken that decision for her and her brother and her sister had given so much to her.... she must return them somehow.

Soon a servant announced them that they had arrived in Peucezia and that they stopped to rest the horses. The two sisters exchanged a glance and decided to do a short walk. Ermione was invested by a sweet breeze: the perfume of the flowers and bushes mixed with the sea's one and the young princess heard for the first time the sound of the waves breaking on the rocks and the gulls' calls.

Peucezia was a small coastal region crossed by three rivers: it wasn't economically very important and the particular position made it sure from external attacks. The landscape was breathtaking: a promontory, on which there were Austina's lighthouse and stronghold, was stretched as a sleeping giant on a sapphire sea. The coast, from high and rocky, degraded softly in a long beach of thin and slightly rosy sand up to Cervaro's estuary; behind of it stretched a brief lowland that then climbed in hills covered with forests. Austina rose on the estuary and has a tangled system of dams and canals; looking toward north, she caught a glimpse of Rotas, the circular shaped city, and Mineos, famous for its laces.

Lelya smiled seeing the ecstatic expression of her baby sister: it was a good sign if she liked the place. She wondered still if that decision will make happy her sister: in the last days this doubt had bothered her. Besides she worried much the reaction of Miana's sons -her father's second wife- would have had when they would have known about Ermione's marriage. Syrius, Achemar, Antares and Denab were very ambitious men, able to everything to depose Marcel: they fortunately were selfish and each preferred to act by himself and Jinko-hime avoided any rash action. But what would have happened if the Pillar disappears and/or the four of them join their forces?

Lelya's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of an escort, driven by a blonde man in blue armor. The man dismounted and talked shortly with the coachman; he then drew near the two princesses and knelt.

" I'm Dal Lafarga, Captain of Peucezian Guard: Prince Frederick has entrusted me to escort you to Villa Spina. Welcome in your new house, princess Ermione."

Lafarga ended with a smile. Ermione nodded and climbed with her sister in the coach toward Villa Spina.

' And so my journey is ending. ' Ermione thought sadly, ' in few days I'll be the wife of a man that I barely know. Sure, I like Frederick, but... I don't think that I'm in love with him. Once Xsara told me that love is a thing that comes with time, but will it be true? Will I learn to love my husband a day? Will my marriage be as my sister's? Father was forced to marry Miana, and that marriage has been a disaster: I don't want that this happen to me too! If only I was a little bit more charming and pleasant... then I could love and be beloved. '

The young woman watched the landscape: the path went through a wood of oaks and then reached the top of a hill. Beyond the hill she could see a red building, it was composed by three floors: the first floor's big doors surely gave the warehouses; the second floor was for the servitude, and entered through a plaster white outside staircase; the same staircase duplicated and carried to a portico with three arcs, entry for the third floor, reserved to the lord. More than the residence of a noble, that villa looked like a farm. Ermione didn't expect this.

Suddenly Lafarga spurred his horse and reached a man: the two exchanged some word; the man dried his hands on his apron, ran toward coach and opened the door: Ermione, frightened, sank in the shadiest angle.

" I hope... pant pant.. that you have done a good journey.. pant..."

Lelya smiled cordially and answered:

" It has been longer than I think, but we haven't had problems, prince Frederick. Ermione, why don't you greet your fiancé?"

The young Princess looked at her sister and then Frederick.

" Ah-em... good-good morning prince Frederick, I am happy to see again you. I hadn't recognized you...."

Ermione understood to have just made a gaffe and she covered her mouth with a hand; Lelya sighed shaking her head and Frederick burst in a roaring laughter.

' Damn! Now he thinks that I am a fool who doesn't know how to shut her mouth. ' 

" Don't apologize!" Fred said giggling," I, instead, must apologize for my look: it is the better way to do a bad impression on my own bride and on two royal Princesses!"

Frederick was right: he wore a white and bloodstained shirt with the sleeves rolls up above his elbows; leather apron and gloves, also these bloodstained; brown pants and a pair leather boots glimpsed under his apron. Despite his worrying look -there was much blood on his clothes- Ermione can't help but find him handsome: his deep blue summer sky eyes were kind and malicious at the same time; his messy, curly and wheat blond hair was picked in a little ponytail, his skin tanned by the sun and his bristly beard made him still more charming and somehow wild.

" What is happened to you? You are... covered with blood... "

Ermione asked worried. Her future husband laughed scratching his nape.

" Well, Garnet is having a birth a little bit difficult: since the veterinarian isn't in this area, I have been forced to replace him. Ah, Garnet is one of my cows. I'm a big rude, am I not? I haven't greeted you as the protocol prescribes."

Frederick got away the gloves and helped Ermione to get off the coach -Lelya instead was helped by the coachman; he then took her hand and kissed it:

" Welcome in my lands, that the Pillar grants you to live cheerful days in Peucezia."

He said tightening for a long time his fiancée hand; he then kissed Lelya's one.

" Well, now that we have ended the cyvilities, follow me. Fabio, Leios, Nat: takes these pretty ladies' baggage and carry them upstairs."

Three serve reached them and began to unload the baggage. Frederick led the two women into the villa. After the third floor's hall, a brief hallway turned to left, where best part of the rooms were -the little library, a study, four rooms and the different bedrooms; on the right there was a ballroom and a living room that gave on the terrace with a big lemon-tree. The walls were white, decorated with few paintings and some mirror: the environment was simple if compared to the Palace, but it had a certain something cozy, warm and domestic.

" You will accustom to our style of life, Ermione: here life is very hard. Peucezia is a beautiful land, but also ungrateful: despite the prayers of Jinko-hime, we must face drought and fires in summer. Thanks Pillar this has been a rainy winter. Well, this is your room, Princess Lelya; and that near is for you, Ermione: you'll sleep here until the wedding. I have fixed the marriage's date the day after tomorrow, but if you want to change it..."

" No, it's perfect. Isn't it, dear sister?"

Lelya smiled looking at her little sister, who nodded slightly. Frederick smiled and smacked Ermione's temple.

The young bride wasn't able to sleep: that day she had become the wife of the prince of Peucezia, yet she had the impression to haven't lived that day. She confusedly remembered Nenetta, the old governess, and her sister getting her ready; some flashes of the ceremony and the banquet; the guests were without face, as without face was the priest. 

She didn't remember the formula that tied her for her whole life to Frederick.

With a sigh, Ermione turned in the bed, facing Frederick, whom slept pacifically: he was completely naked; a sheet covered his lower body. /It/ had happened a couple of hours before: even if he had been gentle and delicate, she had felt nothing. Not even the pain. It was as.... as if her mind had been elsewhere. Only now Ermione felt a little bit sore. She turned again, facing the alcove's white ceiling and thinking.

To tell the truth, she didn't know what do: as wife, her duty was to be at her husband's side. Other women would have been happy at her place -at least so her sister had told her, but she wasn't. She had dreamt a love marriage, one of which she read in the romances; but Ermione knew that it was impossible. When she was about thirteen years old, she fell in love with her brother's nurse's son: she tried to be close him, to speak with him alone, to understand how his character was, and when Ermione had enough courage, she wrote him a letter. The following day, the boy went to Marcel and told him- they were great friends since childhood and they treated each other as peer:

" Tell to your younger sister to stop to be a pain in the neck! She could be a royal princess, but I don't like having her around me all day long: what impression I'll do? I don't mean to be offensive, but nobody will be interest in a such unpleasant girl!" 

As soon as possible, Marcel threw her apart and scolded her bitterly. From that day Ermione gave up her own dream; rather, since that day she was sure that nobody would have married her. Why Frederick had married her was a mystery for her: perhaps that marriage reentered in some political strategy or it was a way to push her away from the Palace. If it were so, Ermione would have felt hurt because it meant that her brother and her sister didn't consider her. However, now she was a married woman and -like it or not- she must stay in Peucezia.

Suddenly Ermione felt stifled. She got out of the bedroom and ran along the hallway; she stopped in front of Lelya's room and she raised a fist to knock, she watched doubtful the door, but she then gave up: her sister would have scolded her and would have told her things that by now Ermione knew. She puffed disappointed and went on the terrace; Ermione leaned against the baluster and breathed deeply, letting the breeze caresses her face: the air scented with sea and citrus fruit, scents completely unknown to the young Princess, scents that soon would have replaced the charming and languid perfumes of the court. And without know why, Ermione Xepphirine-Phazire, new princess of Peucezia, began to cry. 

~* TO BE CONTINUED *~


	2. AN

Sorry, maybe you've thought it was a new chapter, but I'm sorry, no more chappter for all my Rayearth fanfics. For now.  
The reason is very simple: even if I'm ispired, even if I have good ideas, I'm no more spurred as in the past. Now I have small time for writting and people don't review my fic any more. Beside I wrote Rayearth fanfic for more than a year and so I got bored.   
I'm leading my interest in different stories, my eyes and my imagination are now laying on different characters.  
I won't let you down, I'll continue these fics, but try to understand: I need to change.  
  
Pat-chan 


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